Corals and calcified hydroids of the Manuel Luiz Marine State Park (State of Maranhão, Northeast Brazil)

Abstract

This study aimed to collect information on the diversity of corals and calcified hydroids of the Manuel Luiz Marine State Park (state of Maranhão, Northeast Brazil) to aid in the development of a management plan for the park. A total of 21 cnidarian species were identified, of which 16 were corals and calcified hydroids. The bathymetric and geographic distribution of each of these species was extended. This area has a rich coral fauna in relation to other parts of Brazil and is comparable in diversity to the Abrolhos Islands (Bahia State) -an unexpected result considering the region's proximity to the Amazon River Basin. Most of the specimens of corals and calcified hydroids observed were bleached.Keywords FD et al. -Biota Neotropica, v7 (n3) -bn00907032007

Brazilian coral reefs in a period of global change: A synthesis

“…These reefs grow as giant pinnacles to depths of approximately 25 to 30 m, and their tops reach up to 2 m of water depth, but during the spring low tides, some are at sea level (COURA, 1994;AMARAL et al, 2006AMARAL et al, , 2007FERREIRA, 1997). Eastward from this area as far as São Roque cape, certain patch and bank reefs on the inner shelf have been mapped along the coast of the state of Ceará and the northern part of the coast of Rio Grande do Norte state (LABOREL, 1969(LABOREL, , 1970SANTOS et al, 2007).…”

“…A cored reef on the coastal arc revealed a Holocene coral reef structure, over 12 m thick, lying on a reefal carbonate rock of probable Pleistocene age (LEÃO; LIMA, 1982;KIKUCHI, 1999). Southward in the Abrolhos Bank, in the northern part of the coast of Espírito Santo state, several coral species have been described (AMARAL et al, 2007). Mesophotic reefs have been described across the mid and outer shelves of the Abrolhos Bank, at depths from 25 to 90 m. These reefs are structures described as submerged pinnacles, coalescent reefs 2-3 m high with sinkhole-like depressions known as "buracas".…”

Morphological variation in the atlantic genus Siderastrea (Anthozoa, Scleractinia)

“…Five species represents this group, of which, Siderastrea savignyana Edwards & Haime, 1850 and Siderastrea glynni Budd & Gúzman, 1994 are restricted to the Indo-Pacific region (Laborel, 1969/70), and the other three occur abundantly in the Atlantic Ocean and represent the 'Atlantic Siderastrea Complex' (Veron, 1995). Siderastrea stellata Verril, 1868 is endemic to Brazilian coast (from Parcel do Manuel Luis to northern coast of Rio de Janeiro) (Leão, 1986;Amaral et al, 2007). Siderastrea radians (Pallas, 1766) and Siderastrea siderea (Ellis & Sollander, 1789) are some of the most common corals in the Caribbean region (Neves, 2004) and, recently, they were also registered in Brazilian coast (Neves et al, 2006(Neves et al, , 2008(Neves et al, , 2010Menezes et al, 2013).…”

Variação das Zooxantelas e Branqueamento no Hidróide Calcário Millepora alcicornis Linnaeus, 1758 nos Recifes de Porto de Galinhas - Nordeste Brasileiro

“…Fatores externos (perturbações nos recifes) podem desencadear um desequilíbrio ecológico grande, afetando os seres que vivem sob sua proteção (BELÉM et al, 1986;PITOMBO et al, 1988;KIKUCHI, 2000;OLIVEIRA et al, 2008;GARCIA et al, 2009). Várias pesquisas com Millepora alcicornis no Brasil foram realizadas, contudo são pouco voltadas à observação da simbiose das zooxantelas ou variações sofridas por esses simbiontes devido à mudanças (AMARAL; COSTA, 1998;AMARAL et al (2006AMARAL et al ( , 2007AMARAL et al ( , 2008AMORIM, 2009;GARCIA et al, 2009). …”